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Carl Davaz

One of the most important Thanksgiving foods at our house is yeast rolls. I go back and forth between plain rolls and rolls that contain mashed potatoes, but I think that potato rolls are my favorite.

Make sure to use a floury, not waxy, potato, cooked and mashed well. Lumps aren’t a plus in rolls. Save the potato water: yeast loves it, beginning to feed and multiply happily almost immediately.

Mixing and kneading can be done in a heavy-duty stand mixer. Use the paddle to beat the dough until smooth, then switch to the dough hook.

Rising time depends on temperature. In a warm kitchen on Thanksgiving where the oven has been on since 7 a.m., it may take only an hour. In a cool room, they’ll rise more slowly. You even can shape the rolls and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight, as long as you store them in a covered, air-tight container, leaving room for the rising.

If you shape the rolls about an hour before the turkey is to come out, they’ll be ready to put in the oven while the turkey rests.

Let them bake while the turkey is carved and the food is being put on the table.

This dough will keep in the refrigerator for about five days, so you can pull out dough to make rolls or a loaf as you’d like. Double the recipe if you’re expecting a crowd (but don’t double the yeast.)

Potato rolls

Makes 2 to 3 dozen rolls, depending on size.

• 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 package dry yeast
• 1 cup flour plus an additional 2 or more cups
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Place potato in a small saucepan. Add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer until the potato is completely soft. Drain, retaining water. Mash potato until smooth. You should have about 1/2 cup. (Don’t worry if it’s a little under.) Set aside.

Put an ice cube in a measuring cup. Add potato water to make 3/4 cup. When water has cooled to lukewarm, sprinkle yeast on top and let proof (begin to bubble, smell yeasty, and look, unfortunately, like beige pond scum) while gathering other ingredients.

Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, egg, potatoes and foamy yeast water. Beat until smooth. Gradually mix in enough flour to make a dough that's easy to handle, not too soft and wet.

Knead until smooth and elastic (it springs back when you push it.)

Grease a large bowl, place dough in bowl, then turn so greased side of dough is up. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least eight hours or up to five days.

Divide dough in half. Each half will make one shaped batch of rolls.

Shape and let rise until doubled, about 1½ hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush rolls with melted butter; bake about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on shape, or until golden brown and very fragrant.

Variations

• Replace up to half of the flour with whole wheat flour.
• Replace 3/4 cup flour with corn meal or corn flour.
• Replace 1/2 cup flour with oat bran or wheat germ.

After brushing tops of risen rolls with butter, sprinkle with coarse salt, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds or a combination.

If making crescent rolls, sprinkle 3 tablespoons brown sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon on top of butter before cutting and rolling.

Shape

Crescent: Roll dough on floured board to a 12-inch circle. Spread with very soft butter.

Cut into 16 wedges and roll from wide end. Place, point tucked under, on a greased baking sheet. Let rise until doubled. Brush with melted butter. Bake.

Muffin rolls: Grease muffin tin. Make 2-inch balls of dough. Place in muffin cups. Let rise until doubled. Brush with melted butter. Bake.

Soft-sided rolls: Grease a layer cake pan. Make rounds of dough, any size from walnut to egg, and place in pan, barely touching. Let rise until doubled. Brush with melted butter. Bake.

Kim Davaz of Eugene writes the biweekly Eating In column.

Carl Davaz

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